Non-refillable-bottle stopper.



J. H. GRUVER.

NON-REFILLABLE BOTTLE STOPPER.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 20, I915.

71 ,288,4c@6 s Patented Dec. 17, 1918.

.Znvenfar;

JOSEPH HARRY GRUVER,

MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO THE OF BALTIMORE, M'ARYLAND,

SIMPLEX PROTECTIVE STOPPER 00., OF HIGH- LANDTOWN, BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, A CORPORATION OF MARYLAND.

NON -REFILLABLE-IBOTTLE STOPPER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 17, 1918.

Application filed April 20, 1915. Serial No. 22,613.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH HARRY Gaovnn, a citizen of the United States, residing at Baltimore, Maryland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Non-Refillable-Bottle Stoppers, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to non-refillable bottle stoppers, and consists of improvements upon the form of stopper shown in Letters Patent of the United States granted to me the twenty-first day of July, 1914:, Serial Number 1,104,420.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 shows my improved stopper in place within a bottle neck;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the ball retaining cage;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of another form of ball-retaining cage, together with a cover member;

Fig. 4c is a sectional view of a stopper having the form of cage shown in Fig. 3.

As in the patent mentioned, the stopper includes an outer shell 1 having a shoulder 2 resting upon. a packing 3 seated upon a shoulder 4: in the bottle neck, the main body of this shell, that is, the portion of smaller diameter, depending below the shoulder 4:, and fitting fairly close to the inner wall of the bottle neck. At its lower end the casing has a bottom portion 5 provided with a central opening 6 through which the liquid may pass, the bottom forming a seat for a packing 7 upon which a ball valve 8 seats itself. This ball is controlled in its movement by a cage. This cage, as shown in Fig. 2, is of special form, and is designed to improve the stopper in that the cage is formed from thin sheet metal and all in one piece. The cage has a flange 9 which rests upon and holds in place the cork or other packing. The main body of the cage consists of upstanding arms 10, and a dome-shaped portion 11 at the upper ends of these arms, forming the stop for the ball when this moves away from its seat on the packing 7. The upstanding arms 10 control the movement of the ball, and direct it back properly to its seat. They hold the ball substantially centrally of the bottle neck, and prevent its lateral displacement. As above stated, the cage is formed in one piece, of sheet metal, and each of its upstanding arms 10, besides being connected with the dome portion 11, has a section of the flange 9 carried thereby, which extends at right angles outwardly, or substantially so, to the upstanding arm. These flange sections are of segmental form, and when the sheet metal piece is bent up into the shape shown in Fig. 2, the ends of the sections abut each other, and form substantially a continuous flange. This ball cage member is held in place by an inner shell member 12 fitting closely the outer shell, and bearing at its lower edge upon the flange 9, thus keeping this flange pressed down to clamp the washer between itself and the bottom From the shoulder portion 2 of the outer shell a rim 13 extends upwardly, and this is spun at its upper edge outwardly into a groove 1 1 in the bottle neck, thus serving to hold the stopper in place. A cover portion 15 extends over the bore or interior space of the stopper, and at a slight distance above the shoulder portion 2, this cover portion being connected with the inner shell 13 by lugs or integral portions 16". The fluid passes out from beneath this cover portion through the openings 17. The inner and outer shells are held together by indenting the said shells at 18, and a vent opening may be provided at these indented portions for the passage of air through the stopper and through the crevice between the lower portion of the stopper and the inner wall of the bottle to prevent any tendency for vacuum formation within the bottle as the liquid is poured out.

In Fig. 4:, instead of having an inner shell 12, I may use simply an inner cage for the ball, and have this cage carry the cover portion 15. The cage 10 is of generally cylindrical form, having openings 10 for the passage of liquid, and this cage may be held in place and. clamped to packing 7 by its flange 9 bearing thereon, the flange being held by the indented wall of the outer shell, as shown at 19. This indented portion may extend continuously around the outer shell, or points at intervals may be indented to serve the same purpose. This form of stopper consists practically of two pieces, whereas the form first described consists of three pieces, namely: the outer shell, inner-shell carry' g the cover portion 15, and the cage. In the form shown in Fig. 4 the cage and cover portion constitute one element, this being illustrated separately in Fig. 3.

The indented cage and Cover portion and seat washer holder of Fig. 3 can be made out of one piece of sheet metal.

I claim as my invention 1. In combination with a bottle having an interior shoulder facing upwardly and an annular groove above said shoulder in the neck of the bottle, a stopper consisting of a shell having an upper rim. portion spun into the said groove and having a reduced portion with a shoulder between said reduced portion and the said rini adapted to overlie the shoulder in the bottle neck, a washer interposed between the shoulder of the stopper and the shoulder in the bottle neck, a ball valve carried by the reduced portion and controlling a discharge opening at the center of the bottom of said reduced portion, a cover member extending over the upper central portion of the shell with discharge spaces directed laterally at a point beneath said cover and a vent opening in the reduced portion of the shell, communicating with Copies of this patent may be obtained for the interior of the shell and with the crevice between the exterior of the reduced portion of the shell and the wall of the bottle below the shoulder thereof, substantially as described.

2. A bottle stopper consisting of a shell having an upper rim adapted to be pressed into a groove in the bottle neck and a reduced loWer portion with a shoulder between the rim portion and said reduced portion, said reduced portion having an opening in its bottom, a ball valve controlling said opening, a cover member extending over the interior of the reduced portion, but leaving lateral outlets and a vent opening formed in the reduced'portion at a. point below the shoulder of the stopper, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof, I afiix signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOSEPH HARRY GRUVER.

\Vitnesses:

J. 'WM. SHEFFER, H. T. NORRIS.

five cents each, by addressing the "Commissioner of Eatents,

Washington, D. C. 

